


Smoldering Memories

by cienfleur



Category: One Piece
Genre: Gen, also i guess the only major character death in this is implied, heres hoping i actually finish this this time!!!, technically i guess i could say ace is here but uh, this was originally on ff and i only got thru one chapter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-04
Updated: 2018-08-04
Packaged: 2019-06-21 21:11:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15566427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cienfleur/pseuds/cienfleur
Summary: After leaving Dressrosa, Sabo begins having vivid dreams about being on a pirate ship, sailing in a small boat by himself, and being trapped in Impel Down.  The most vivid dream he has, however, is a nightmare about Marineford.  Based on the idea of people getting previous devil fruit users' memories upon eating a devil fruit.





	Smoldering Memories

It all happened in a flash, a brief instant.

His thoughts ran together, he couldn’t think clearly, he couldn’t think, he couldn’t think. Moments before he had been focused on his rage. It’s not like he could let anyone talk smack about his father, after all. But the pain brought him back. The pain of being burnt, the pain of getting hurt for the first time in years. The boy winced and tried to recollect his thoughts. He tried to focus on the enemy he was facing.

That’s right. Akainu, Akainu, Akainu. That was who he was facing up against. An admiral. Someone who had fought his way to the top of the navy’s ranks. A terrifying foe. He gave the magma man an icy glare before wincing again, because, he had by no means expected to get hurt like that. The admiral gazed back, stone-faced, before saying four terrifying words.

“Watch what I do.”

Akainu turned toward the right swiftly and raced toward a figure on the stone plaza, someone who was bending down, reaching, his movements weak, his energy gone. It didn’t take the boy long to recognize just who it was who was crouching down like that. It was Luffy.

_Oh God, oh God, oh God, no no no no no no no no don’t you dare touch him, don’t touch him!_

The boy’s mouth couldn’t find the words to string together a sentence. All he could do was watch, in horror, his mind and heart racing as he saw the large man raise a hot fist, ready to strike down his little brother.

There was no way he would survive a hit from that man.

He was running now. He didn’t remember getting up, but he must’ve at some point or another. His mind was screeching. Screeching the name of Luffy, his little brother. Luffy, who had come all this way to save him. Luffy, who had gone through hell and back just for his sake.

_Luffy, Luffy, Luffy…_

The fist was scorching hot. It burned, oh it burned. It burned throughout his body, he felt his body heating up more and more and more until the pain was so much that he couldn’t feel it anymore. The boy’s racing mind slowed to a crawl. 

_Luffy, Luffy, Luffy…_

The fist slid out of his chest, leaving a clean hole, although it was hard to call it clean since it was so bloody. He didn’t care about the blood. All he cared about was his brother.

_Luffy, Luffy, Luffy…_

He felt his little brother’s arms around him. Good, he was safe. He saved him. That was the only thing that mattered.

Tears, falling like rain.

He couldn’t tell if they were his own or his brother’s. Maybe it was both. He felt his brother’s hand probing his back for something, anything that remained from his back minutes before. There was nothing but a gaping hole. He could tell who was crying now. It was himself. Luffy looked him straight in the eyes, which were torn with grief and disbelief. He opened his mouth to say something and-

“SABO!” A familiar shout jolted him awake. The revolutionary instinctively reached for his stomach, where a hole had been seemingly moments ago before he glanced to his right and saw Koala and Hack, both of whom looked extremely concerned. His face felt damp, he noted. Had he been crying? 

“Are you okay?” Koala worried, “It seemed like you were having an awful dream again. That’s the 5th time this month!”

A dream? He remembered it a little and winced. He could still almost feel the gaping hole in his chest, the burns on his arm, and, and…

“I’m fine.” he responded, faking a smile for his friends. He held the smile for a few seconds in hopes that they’d take the bait and leave him alone. He really didn’t want to talk about the dream with anyone.

Koala looked like she was about to say something (if Sabo had to guess, she was going to force him to spit out everything he was thinking), but Hack gave her a side eye to stop her from prying any more than needed. “Okay then, Sabo,” the fishman deliberated, “We’ll leave you here, then. If you end up needing anything, make sure to tell us.” 

Hack maintained eye contact with the blonde boy as he talked. It was obvious that he knew something was wrong. He always did. But he and Koala left the room quietly, Koala hesitating at the door for a moment before exiting. He heard their voices outside the door for a few moments after it clicked shut. The two of them sounded concerned, but he couldn’t quite make out their words. He didn’t really feel like trying to.

Breathing out a deep sigh, he flopped backwards onto the bed and gazed up at the ceiling. It would be a few days until they arrived back at Baltigo, he guessed, and they’d probably stop at a few islands along the way to restock up on supplies. He lifted one hand up above his head and tried to focus on creating a small flame in his palm. At this point, the power was familiar to him, despite only having had it for a few days at best. After all, he had used it enough in his dreams to know how it felt to use it.

Sabo closed his hand around the flame, causing it to disappear, and began to weep.

**Author's Note:**

> hey everyone! this was originally on fanfiction.net and iirc i wrote it a couple years ago! i only got through the first chapter so idk we're gonna see if i can actually finish it this time!


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